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- South African gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz has booked her ticket to the Paris Olympics.
- Rooskrantz qualified for her second Olympics after her fine display at the FIG Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp.
- The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist hopes to improve ahead of Paris.
- For more sports stories, please visit News24 Sport's front page.
21-year-old Caitlin Rooskrantz has quickly established herself as one of South Africa's leading gymnasts, earning a spot for next year's Paris Olympics.
Last week, Rooskrantz delivered an outstanding performance at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp, which earned a well-deserved spot for Paris.
Rooskrantz earned one of the top 14 gymnast slots out of a pool of competitors.
"It's been a really tough journey to get here since my last Olympic Games and I knew it was going to be a bit harder but nonetheless, we kept working," Rooskrantz told News24.
"I kept my eye on the goal and I'm proud to say that everything we have done up until this point has definitely been worth it."
Coach of the South African gymnastics team, Ilse Pelser, was excited over Rooskrantz's feat.
"I am very excited about Caitlin's Olympic qualification, considering that this process was a lot more difficult than when qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics."
Rooskrantz is remembered for her bronze medal in the uneven bars at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games last year.
Having qualified for her second Olympic Games, Rooskrantz approaches the responsibility of representing her nation at the Olympics with a cool head.
"I promised myself that this journey I would really enjoy every part of it and trying not to put too much pressure on myself," said the South African gymnast.
Rooskrantz is aware of some of the external pressures that come with holding a top position in South African women's gymnastics.
However, she does not allow that to control her thinking.
Rooskrantz and her coach Pelser, are fully committed to breaking the top 10 barrier in bars.
"It's a big goal and she's probably in the Top 20 in the world on bars, but to move into the Top 8 is going to be the next goal," said Pelser.
Rooskrantz realises the weight of expectations as she looks back on her first Olympics, where she didn't advance through to the final.
"I went out there, I did an amazing job. I had a personal best performance, but once I did that, I also think my trust in myself, my trust in my ability [and] my gymnastics only increased," said Rooskrantz.
"Going forward, I just made it a thing that I was going to really enjoy the process. Gymnastics is already very challenging on its own."
The unwavering support she receives from everyone around her is a big part of her success. She highlights the teamwork required, reiterating her mother's sentiment that "it takes a village" to get where one is.
Her longtime home, the Johannesburg Gymnastics Centre (JGC), has evolved into a second family that continuously inspires and believes in her.
Rooskrantz emphasises the idea of not letting the Olympic stage overwhelm her while still realising its enormous significance.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, once again, that has come around for me and I intend to make the most of every moment," she said.
"To really just take in and soak in every part of the journey, every part of that moment of being able to compete on that Olympics stage, is something that I will definitely go into with Paris."
Being the first South African gymnast to win a medal on the uneven bars at the Commonwealth Games serves as motivation as she continues to look for ways to improve.
"I really hope to keep working hard, keep pushing my execution to hopefully edge closer and closer into those Top 20 [and] Top 10 gymnasts in the world on bars, as that is my strong point," said Rooskrantz.
"I'm hoping in the coming competitions that I have lined up for me that I will continue to improve and show steady improvement for not only myself but for South African gymnastics."
